Respiratory Therapy: Working With Kids

Did you know you could become a Respiratory Therapist in as little as 22 months? Working as a Respiratory Therapist can lead to an exciting career in the healthcare industry. So if you like working with people of all ages and enjoy making a difference in their lives, then Respiratory Therapy may be a good career choice for you.

What is a Respiratory Therapist?

Respiratory Therapists are healthcare practitioners who specialize in diseases and conditions involving the lungs and the respiratory system. They work with the lungs of people who have infections or any other disorder with breathing. Respiratory Therapists often work in intensive care and operating rooms. They are also used in outpatient clinics and home-health environments, making Respiratory Therapists very versatile and an important part of the healthcare industry.

PCI strives to help each Respiratory Therapist that graduates enter the field prepared. Since Respiratory Therapists will be handling cases and situations with patients of all age groups, from children to seniors, each Respiratory Therapist has to handle each case with care and consideration.

Who do Respiratory Therapists Work With?

Senior citizens tend to have respiratory problems frequently and need to be treated, but children can also be affected by respiratory conditions. Many children and teens suffer from lung diseases and ailments that may restrict growth and development. Proper breathing practices and pulmonary awareness are critical for people of all ages to consider but especially for those who are more vulnerable because they are still growing. Sometimes people make the assumption that as a Respiratory Therapist you will work mostly with elderly people but youngsters also require help in this area on a regular basis.

Some respiratory conditions that are common among kids include:

Asthma

Emphysema

Pneumonia

Bronchitis

Wheezing Cough

Respiratory Disease

Influenza

Respiratory Tract Infection

These problems, along with many others, affect children and need medical attention. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma is actually the leading cause of children missing school and afflicts around 10 percent of children. Patients are taken care of on a case-by-case basis and and need to be handled with care.

As a Respiratory Therapist, you could work one-on-one with children who have problems with asthma and help provide the care they need. Through interviewing, assessing the symptoms, examining, then consulting with other physicians, each patient will have a treatment plan developed for them.

Not only will Respiratory Therapists handle illnesses such as those mentioned above, but they also handle cases of emergency care to individuals who have had a heart attack, experienced shock, or were near drowning.

Becoming a Respiratory Therapist

Once established, a Respiratory Therapist can become an educator and provide care at multiple clinics. The potential and work available can be rewarding. If this sounds like a career path you’re interested in, check out our program or feel free to contact our admissions team to learn more about enrolling in our Respiratory Therapy Program.